REPERCUSSIONS OF BACKSLIDING INTO SIN

EVERY WORD OF GOD FOR DAILY LIVING BY: 
PASTOR PAUL RIKA:
INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR 
Holiness Revival Movement Worldwide

DATE: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4th
 
TEXT: Psalm 81:13-16
13 Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!
14 I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.
15 The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.
16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

KEY VERSE: Hebrews 10:38
Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

​In today’s devotional text, the Lord was standing and seeing His people that have failed. He saw struggling that was not bringing result. Israel was on its own backing the Lord but going into dryness. The Lord was seeing them sitting under the scorching sun and the heat of the sun beating them heavily. All their strength had gone.

God was now saying, “Can you see yourself? Did I not warn you? If you had listened to me and carried out all my instructions to you, I would have subdued your enemies so quickly. I would have turned the hands of your enemies against themselves; I would have dealt with them to end your grief. But you did not ask for My help. You wanted to have your way. You were trying to fight them by your own effort hence I left you to them. But see where you have found yourself now.

It is you that has been thinking that you could have your way. If you had hearkened to God’s commandments all this matter would have been over; you would have been at peace, but you would not take my counsel. You thought you had the answer, but complete trust in God is the answer. Let God show you what to do. Let God lead you on what to do. If he has not led you yet, wait on him, you will reach there.

Psalm 27:13, 14 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

The psalmist is saying, “Until I came to that state of surrender unto God, it was then I recovered my energy; otherwise, my strength was gone. I came to that spot and released my heart. I believed and trusted in the Lord, then peace came in.” As you surrender totally to God today, may you receive victory over your adversaries and enjoy God’s peace that surpasses all understanding in the name of Jesus.

Thought for the day: Live today for Jesus to avoid tomorrow’s regret.

Song for the day: Keep on believing Jesus is near, keep on believing there’s nothing to fear…..
​
Bible reading for the day: Exodus 34-36; Matthew 23:1-22